India Thumps Windies as Build Up for ODI World Cup Begins

Team India comfortably beat the Windies in the first ODI of the 3-match series by 5 wickets. Though India stuttered in reaching a paltry target of 115, it had more to do with their aggressive style of play which ended the match in just 45.5 overs! The magic weaved by Indian spinners was way too much for Windies batsmen who were dismissed for their second lowest ODI score ever against India.

Batting first, Windies began badly as seamers Hardik Pandya, Shardul Thakur and debutant Mukesh Kumar picked up a wicket each inside the first 10 overs. A partnership between captain Shai Hope and Shimron Hetmyer took them to 88. But the spin combo of Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav triggered a dramatic collapse taking 7 wickets for 26 runs in just 44 balls!

In reply, India lost Shubman Gill early but Ishan Kishan hit his 4th ODI half century to guide India to an easy win. The scorecard may suggest that India found it hard to chase as they lost 5 wickets but it was more due to extreme help for spinners from the pitch. Also, India promoted its youngsters up the order to find their batting rhythm. Rohit Sharma came in at no.7 and Virat Kohli was not even needed to bat!

This series, however, is not just about beating the Windies who have declined sharply in the last few years as a force in limited overs cricket. Just recently, Windies cricket hit a new low by failing to qualify for the upcoming ODI World Cup. As such, it’s a complete mismatch between these two sides – while Windies won’t figure in the World Cup, India is one of the favourites!

This series is far more about finetuning India’s preparations for the Asia Cup in August-September and the World Cup in October-November. India will like to cement their best combination going ahead and the current series provides an opportunity for many players. Ideally, India would like Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan and Sanju Samson to find their batting mojo while Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav and Umran Malik could get their bowling rhythm back as they haven’t played any international cricket of late.

India’s batting revolves mainly around Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli but there are a few spots up for grabs to solidify the middle order. With Rishabh Pant injured and almost certain to miss the World Cup, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan are in line to stake a claim for that role. Samson has a terrific batting average of 66 from 11 One Dayers while Kishan is among the very few who have hit a double century in the 50 over format. If K.L Rahul, the original replacement for Pant, doesn’t recover in time for the Asia Cup, it’s a direct SamsonKishan contest for the wicketkeeper spot.

Also, T20 specialist Suryakumar Yadav is vying for the No 4 spot in the batting order earlier held by Shreyas Iyer who is currently battling a back injury. Surya got a good start in the first ODI against the Windies but failed to capitalise. With little time left for the World Cup, Surya needs to iron out his chinks quickly if he’s to be a strong contender to bat at number 4.

The biggest concern for India is their growing injury list. The latest addition is Mohammed Siraj who left for India after the Windies Test series complaining of ankle pain. Currently, the three first-choice pacers - Bumrah, Shami, Siraj - are going through injury concerns. Luckily, there’s good news on the Bumrah front as BCCI claims he may play in the Ireland T20 series after a better than expected rehab at the National Cricket Academy. Shami is being rested after the extra workload he has shouldered in Bumrah’s absence.

India’s spinning combination also needs to be finalized with Chahal, Kuldeep, Jadeja and Axar in the mix. A late addition to the World Cup squad could be Ravi Ashwin who provides an off-spinning option in the lineup. Axar and Jadeja have the same skillset and many feel Ashwin should get the nod to lend variety and experience to the spin attack.

After the Windies trip, besides the Asia Cup, India has just 3 ODIs left to play and needs to find a settled unit. An important facet of the 2011 World Cup win was that India had a settled side and made only a few changes in the playing 11 all through the Championship. Ironically, this time with just 2 months left for the World Cup, only a handful of players have sure spots while most of the team is still rather unclear!

THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL

Siddhaarth Mahan The writer is a specialist on Sports and Cinema who works as an actor in the Hindi film industry